


Talk To Me

by KATastrofic222



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Chapter 5, Human!Kiibo, M/M, Pre-School AU, Shrinking, Sick Fic, Slight Canon Divergence, dystopian au, hand-holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-04 20:52:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18351491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KATastrofic222/pseuds/KATastrofic222
Summary: These are dialogue prompts I've filled on tumblr last year.





	1. Kiiboy is Cool

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:  
>  _"You know, for a robot, you’re actually nice to cuddle up to.“_  
>  _“That’s both robophobic and nice of you to say."_
> 
> *Lines slightly modified to make it sound more natural.

No one ever really wonders where the supreme leader goes off on his free time. A good majority of them preferred it that way, considering they didn’t enjoy having him mock them nonstop and hit them where it actually _hurts._ They prefer peace and quiet over being in the same space as Ouma Kokichi.

Being the one who often faces the brunt of Ouma’s incessant mockery, Kiibo can’t find it in himself to blame his classmates. But at the same time, it seems he just can’t leave the other alone. Especially not when there’s a Killing Game going on.

The first place Kiibo checked was Ouma’s room, which was locked as expected. Next was the dining hall–their friends were eating peacefully, so it didn’t seem like he passed by there either. Next the courtyard, the library, the classrooms. Nothing. Ouma was nowhere to be found. Somehow, this fact didn’t sit well with him at all.

Seeing as it was nighttime, Kiibo reluctantly returned to his room–all he could think about was the supreme leader’s whereabouts. His thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud crash coming from the room next to his– _Ouma’s_ room to be exact. Alarmed, Kiibo rushed out of his room and knocked on Ouma’s door.

“Ouma-kun? Ouma-kun are you alright?”

“…”

“Ouma-kun?!” frightened by the thought that someone was possibly committing a murder right at this moment, Kiibo moved a few steps back before giving the spot next to the door’s lock a strong kick–-something he’s read from a book specializing in rescue a few days prior. As soon as the door broke down just as he’s hoped to accomplish, he hastily entered through the doorway, only to see the missing raven-haired teen face-flat on the floor.

“Ouma-kun,” Kiibo hurried to his side and helped him sit up, checking for any signs of injury.

”…T-that…that was highly unnecessary,” coughed Ouma, followed by some sniffles.

Finding no signs that his life was in danger, Kiibo visibly relaxed and gave the other a hug, much to their surprise. “I’m glad that you’re safe…! I’ve been look all over for you. I was worried when I couldn’t find you…”

”You…were?” Ouma lifted a brow, checking the android’s features to see if he was lying–-but then he remembered how much of a terrible liar Kiibo was. “It’s not a big deal…’m just sick.”

Kiibo’s ahoge perked up into an exclamation point. “That _is_ a big deal! You shouldn’t be left alone when you’re sick! Have you been staying in your room this whole time? Why was the door locked?”

Ouma narrowed his eyes at the albino. “…Are you stupid? Did you somehow forget that we’re forced to participate in a–” he sneezed. “–a _Killing_ Game. If people knew I was sick, they’d be coming after _me._ And since you went out of your way to destroy my only line of defense against potential murderers, you just doomed me, Kiiboy. _Unless…_ this was your intention all along? Were you looking for me so you can kill me?”

Kiibo’s eyes widened at the accusation before frowning. “I was looking for you to make sure that no one did! No one seemed to wonder where you were so I got worried! W-while I admit that breaking down your door was extreme, I only did so because I thought someone had entered your room to kill you!”

Ouma wished Kiibo was a liar. A filthy liar just like him. But unfortunately, the only thing coming out of his mouth was the truth, and Ouma didn’t want to sort through his feelings towards the robot right now. Not when he’s so close to him.

Instead of saying anything sincere, however, Ouma looked away with an unimpressed pout. “…You can’t expect me to sleep well with my door broken down, you know? What are you going to do about this, huh, Kiiboy? Can you build me a new door out of your spare parts?”

”S-spare parts?! I have no such thing! And why would I do that?!” Kiibo’s frown intensified, which only eased after he let out an exasperated sigh. “Are you willing to trust me enough to sleep in my room for the night? I’ll be able to look after you this way. Leaving a sick person alone does not sit well with me. And about your door, I think Monokuma would fix it if we tell him about it tomorrow.”

Ouma pursed his lips before nodding. “Fine. But you’ll have to carry me.”

”I do not possess the strength to carry you.”

”You’re so lame!”

\-----------------------------------------------

 

Ouma was silent for the most part. He seemed comfortable enough in Kiibo’s bed, considering the robot never sleeps so he doesn’t really make use of the aforementioned furniture. Kiibo helped the other change into a cleaner set of pajamas and handed him a bottle of water Ouma had stored in his room(about a box full). Ouma only started making discomforted noises just a few minutes after being tucked in bed.

“Is something the matter, Ouma-kun?”

“…’s too _hot!_ I don’t–” he coughed. “I don’t like it. But ugh! I guess a robot like you won’t understand.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Kiibo huffed, hands on his waist. “I have experienced taking care of the professor whenever he fell ill, so I know how to tend to the needs of the sick. Now if you’ll excuse me–” Kiibo lifted the sheets and climbed on the bed.

“Sorry Kiiboy, I don’t think I’m up for some human on robo hanky panky right now. Maybe next time,” Ouma deadpanned.

“Will you please stop making such vulgar remarks while I’m trying to help you?” Kiibo flushed as he pulled the supreme leader to his chest–

“Kiiboy, what even are you trying to–”

–and switched on his cooling functions.

“Oh… _ooooh…_ oh this feels…this feels nice…” the shorter teen murmured, moving closer.

“How about that?” Kiibo grinned, no doubt happy to display his functions.

“…Eh, I guess it’s passable,” Ouma closed his eyes, finally feeling comfortable. “You could have told me you had this function right from the start for starters.”

“I didn’t have a need to until now,“ the albino huffed.

“Mmmh…”

Seeing as the other teen’s body eased comfortable against his, Kiibo stood still. He…didn’t really know what to do to pass the time, though. This particular position doesn’t really give him much freedom, so he settled with just idly combing his hand through the supreme leader’s dark locks, earning himself an appreciative hum from the latter.

…

….

…..

“You know, for a robot, you’re actually quite nice to cuddle up to.“

“What you said was robophobic, but thank you for the compliment.“

Ouma huffed a laugh as he nuzzled the robot’s chest. “…’night, Kiibo.”

Kiibo blinked in surprise, but smiled afterwards. “Sleep well, Ouma-kun.”

Surprisingly, Ouma really did sleep well that night.


	2. Be My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  _“Ouma-kun, are you feeling alright? You seem unwell.”_

There was this one troublesome classmate at school that bothered Kiibo. Not just him, actually, but everyone in his class. It was annoying at times, but Kiibo couldn’t help but admire him. Ouma Kokichi was a boy of short stature–the second shortest boy in class in fact. But despite this, he was feared by everyone. Even the bullies from the other class. Not to mention, during days where he actually took things seriously instead of pulling pranks, he was actually a good leader. Something Kiibo wanted to be some day, but for now, he’s content with just being a follower.

Truth be told, Kiibo has low tolerance for mischief and lies, but he’s actually made plenty of attempts of befriending their resident troublemaker–all of which ended in failure. Mostly because Kiibo almost always gets caught in a prank and he ends up snapping at his classmate, who just laughs it off as he makes a run for it. He always made sure to apologize as soon as possible, but Ouma would just wave it off and say it’s fine cause he’s used to it and apologizing wasn’t necessary at all.

Honestly, that sounded even more concerning. They were still in kindergarten. Being used to something negative like that is…

“Ah.” There in the bushes, was the person in question.

“W-wha–what are you doing here?!” Ouma turned away and hurriedly wiped his eyes using his a sleeve. “A-aren’t you supposed to be playing with the other ‘goody-goody’ kids?”

 _‘Aren’t you a kid too?’_ Kiibo thought as he took a couple of steps closer, only stopping when he noticed the other child moving a step back with every step he took.

“…Ouma-kun, are you feeling alright? You seem unwell…” Kiibo’s forehead creased with worry. Ouma was a really good liar(which is also concerning), but he was definitely crying just now, wasn’t he?

“It’s just a stomachache! I’m going to be fine,” the raven-haired child declared with a huff, but the fact that he wasn’t looking the albino in the eye made him less convincing.

Kiibo could tell something was up, but he decided to just play along with his lie. “Let me accompany you to Tsumiki-sensei’s office. She knows how to make anyone better,” he smiled.

Ouma narrowed his eyes at him, searching him for any sign of ulterior motives. Finding none, he reluctantly nodded, awkwardly rubbing an arm as he walked towards the taller boy. Despite how rude Ouma often was, he actually really liked the school nurse since she was really nice. She often greets him with a fond pat on the head before asking him what’s wrong.

However, she had to go out for a moment since she was out of stock on child-friendly stomach medicines, so she had them wait for a moment. Ouma was sitting on the bed, swinging his legs as he waited for the nurse to return. His eyes would flick at the albino, then at the clock, then at his lap, then back at the albino. When the silence got too much, he finally spoke up.

“…That was a lie…”

Kiibo’s head perked up. “Huh? What is?”

Ouma glared angrily at his lap, puffing his cheeks a little. “I don’t…really have a stomachache…I was just…sad, I guess.”

Baby blue eyes widened at the confession.

Just then, Ouma started grinning, “I tricked you! You’re mad, aren’t you? You hate liars like me right? Are you mad? Are you mad, Kiiboy?”

Ouma flinched when the albino paced towards him in rushed steps. He’s always messed with Kiibo a lot in class, or even out of class–sure, Kiibo got mad quite a lot of times, but he wasn’t the type to hit someone…is he? However, instead of getting punched like he expected, he felt arms wrap around him in a comforting hug.

“How could I be mad at someone who’s telling the truth?” Kiibo responded, rubbing the other child’s back. “I’ve…always noticed how sad you looked whenever no one was looking. I believe that you’re a good person, Ouma-kun, that’s why I’ve always wanted to be your friend.”

“…Kiibo…” tears streamed down the shorter child’s cheeks as he returned the hug. “I–I miss m-my parents…! I don’t understand. Why aren’t they coming back for me yet?! I…I thought that…I thought that I was important to them!!!” he sobbed.

That’s when Kiibo realized why Ouma was feeling incredibly upset on this particular day. They just had their Sport’s Day, and everyone had their parents with them. When he was asked about it, Ouma simply replied that his parents got too busy with work so they couldn’t come. But even so, Ouma led their team to victory despite feeling the way he is right now.

“You are…really amazing, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo murmured as he tightened his hug. “You’re so strong and confident. I always wanted to be like you.“

Ouma sniffled. “No you don’t. I’m a liar. I’m a terrible person.”

“No you’re not!” Kiibo held him by the shoulders and moved back so he could see the other boy eye-to-eye. “You were lonely. That’s why you’ve been doing all those things, right? You…you just wanted to have your parents pay attention to you by causing trouble at school.”

Ouma looked hesitant to respond sincerely, but ultimately nodded.

Kiibo smiled. “If…If you’ll let me…would you like me to be your friend?”

Bright amethyst eyes widened. That’s right. Kiibo has been asking him to be his friend for a long time now. But he kept turning him down since it felt like the albino was only forced to do so. Did Kiibo…actually want to be his friend from the start?

Ouma looked into the other boy’s eyes, making up his mind as soon as he determined that the other was being truthful. A small smile crept up on his face as he nodded. “Yes!”

Kiibo’s smile widened as he gave Ouma another hug. “I’ll be in your care from now on, Ouma-kun!”

“Hey! That’s my line!”

Little did they know, Tsumiki had already returned minutes ago and was silently crying to herself as she watched her baby cousin make his first friend.


	3. Easy As Do-Re-Mi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  _“Ahhh! Kiiboy stop, you’re hurting my ears!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was fun to write since I got to write about one of my favorite headcanons regarding Kiibo's singing. :>

_ ‘That was…a disaster,’  _ Kiibo sighed as he strolled along the courtyard.

Saihara rarely took his time to talk to him during their free time, so when the detective went to see him that day, Kiibo got excited and entrusted him with his dream of being an idol and even impress him with a little song! But…things didn’t go so well…

_ ‘Saihara-kun looked really sick after that…’  _ he pursed his lips. The next time he sees the detective, he’ll make sure to apologize for causing him pain.

_ ‘I ah…don’t think you should sing for people anymore…’ _

Ah…it’s strange. He isn’t equipped with tear ducts, yet for some reason, he could feel a pricking sensation in his eyes. His sight started blurring with moisture. Its only purpose was to give him the image of someone in the brink of tears, but not quite crying. He’s unable to produce tears, but that will do for the time being. That’s as close as he could get to crying, anyway. 

……..

Maybe…he should return to his room. His battery wasn’t that depleted yet, but maybe charging earlier than usual shouldn’t be too bad–

**“BOO!”**

“G-gwah–?!”  Kiibo’s eyes closed impulsively as he staggered back in surprise. He cracked an eye open once the shock gradually subsided, only to see the familiar sight of a cackling supreme leader who was currently bowing from laughter. “O-Ouma-kun?!” This was the worst timing yet. Kiibo frowned. He doesn’t have time for this–especially not for his mockery! “What was that for?!”

Ouma wiped a few stray tears as he raised a hand, signaling the robot to wait for him to catch his breath. “For a boring robot, your reactions  _ sure  _ are golden!” he punctuated his sentence with a snigger. “You should have seen it! Your antenna hair went up like an exclamation point just now!”

“It’s not an antenna, it’s just part of my hair!” Kiibo huffed. “It does not serve any special purpose other than complementing my physical appearance.”

“Heeeeh…so it’s useless just like you?” The raven haired teen previously mirthful demeanor was now replaced by a blank expression as he folded his arms behind his head. “Wouldn’t it be better to just get rid of it then? I think you’ll look waaaay better without it.”

That’s…enough. He can’t handle anymore negativity thrown his way.

“…What do you…want from me?” Kiibo slightly bowed his head and clenched his fists. “If spewing robophobic remarks my way brings you joy, then I hope you are having a  _ swell _ time! You got what you came for, now leave me  _ alone!” _

Ouma’s eyes widened ever so slightly, not expecting this kind of response from the albino at all. However, unexpected or not, one does not simply get rid of Ouma Kokichi this way. He dropped his arms to his sides. “No.”

Kiibo’s head perked up. “And why not?!”

The shorter teen rested a hand on his waist and lifted the other to inspect his nails. “Because I don’t wanna.”

“Ouma-kun…”

Purple eyes snapped up to meet cyan lenses. “Gee, and I thought you’d be tactful enough to not snap at anyone just cause you’re having a bad day. But I guess I can’t fault you for that, since humans do it too.”

Upon processing what the other had just said, Kiibo felt ashamed. “…My…apologies. I shouldn’t have–”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Ouma wagged a finger. “I’m afraid sorry doesn’t cut it, Kiiboy. You already hurt my feelings, and the only way for you to make up for it is to tell me your deepest, darkest, secret!”

Kiibo’s brows furrowed. “What secret?”

Ouma sauntered towards him and slightly tipped the robot’s chin upwards with his index finger. “Whatever that’s making you act like a bad-tempered human. It’s honestly annoying, so spill it.”

The robot narrowed his eyes at the supreme leader, unsure if he could trust the other with his…his  _ feelings.  _ He already had a bad experience with sharing things about himself to other people a few hours prior. He’s not sure if he’s up for a second round of that.

…Then again…now is also the chance to confide in another person. People often look for people to talk to when faced with a stressful situation, right? He decided to ignore his inner voice, already set with his own response.

“…Okay.”

They proceeded to the safety of Kiibo’s room, where they can talk with privacy.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

“Heeeeh, a robot idol? That actually sounds interesting,” Ouma hummed. “Gimme a sample, Kiiboy. Show me what you got.”

“Y-you want me to sing?!”

“Just do it. I need to know how bad the problem is,” Ouma huffed.

“But I…” Kiibo pursed his lips as Saihara’s words echoed in his mind. But looking at Ouma’s authoritative demeanor, he opened his mouth–closed it–then opened it again. No sound would come out. He can’t do it. He doesn’t want a repeat of that morning. It was too soon.

“Out with it Kiiboy. I’m getting impatient!” the supreme leader huffed, tapping his foot.

“S-sorry…” Kiibo flinched. He took one last look at the supreme leader before opening his mouth to…sing. 

“H͕͇͕̪a͙̝͉̮̞̕a̕A̴̲A͔̮͇̗̥͠ͅẠ̤̩͢aa̤͔̰̠̣̞̦aA̹̥͎͓̙̯A̼͔̩͓A͈̭̦̺̕ạa̡͚̠̱̻̦̝ͅa҉̟̥͎ͅa̲̙̰̮A̵̲̬̦̼A͍̱̙͍͎A̵͇͎̯Ạ̦̙”

“Ahhh! Kiiboy stop!  _ STOP! _ You’re hurting my ears!”

Kiibo hastily shut his mouth and threw a concerned look towards the supreme leader, who was covering his ears with his hands.

“Holy shit I didn’t think it would be  _ that _ bad!” Ouma shakily removed his hands from his ears. “And you wanted to be an idol with a singing voice like that?!”

Kiibo could feel that same pricking sensation in his eyes again. He knew it. He knew that this was going to happen. He was going to have his dreams shattered for the second time that day.

“Did you ever take voice lessons?” Ouma asked as he sat on the bed beside the robot. “’Cause  _ god _ , you definitely need it.”

“Voice…lessons?” Kiibo’s eyes widened. “N-no…I never really had the chance to.”

“Well, if you want to actually  _ become _ an idol, you gotta start working on your voice. Because honestly, you suck,” the supreme leader used his scarf to wipe his sweat.

“Will that really help me? You heard my voice, right? It’s terrible…“ Kiibo looked down. “My voice caused Saihara-kun so much pain to the point that he vomited, after all.“

“That’s why you’re the Ultimate Robot and not the Ultimate Idol, Kiiboy. It only makes sense that you’ll have to work harder,” Ouma said as-a-matter-of-factly. “Then again, not all humans have the talent to sing either, I mean have you heard Akamatsu-chan sing? Terrible. Just terrible. Which is why she should  _ definitely _ stick to playing the piano for life.”

“Are you saying…that I can improve?” Kiibo blinked, feeling just a little bit of hope spread in his chest.

“You said you were capable of learning, right?” Ouma’s face contorted into a threatening expression. “…Unless, you were lying about that? I absolutely  _ hate _ liars, you know?“

Kiibo hastily shook his head. “I–I can learn! I want to learn! I want to sing…!”

Ouma’s expression eased up when he smiled in a less threatening manner. “Now that’s the right attitude!”

“Ah…” Kiibo wilted when a thought came across his mind. “…Who’s going to give me voice lessons, though…?“

Ouma lightly smacked the robot over the side of his head. “I’m right here, you nuts-for-brains.”

“You’re going to teach me, Ouma-kun?”

“What, are you saying I can’t? I’ll have you know that I have been blessed with an  _ amazing _ singing voice!” the supreme leader huffed. “My natural singing talent plus my talent as the supreme leader combined, I’ll have you singing in no time!” he grinned.

“R-really?”

“Stop doubting me and just say yes already!”

“A-ah! Yes! Uhm–I’ll be in your care from now on, Ouma-kun!” Kiibo bowed.

“Great! We’re starting right now, by the way.“

“H-huh?!”

“Repeat after me, Kiiboy. Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do~ ♪”

“D͓̮͖̰͜-̥͎̮͠ͅD̮o͙͖̤̣–”

“GAAAH!  **_STOP!_ **

 

                 ——————————————————–

 

Ouma wore the biggest grin the robot has ever seen after he succeeded in singing the Do-re-mi for the first time.

_ 'Ouma-kun…thank you for giving me hope.’ _


	4. Not Too Late To Apologize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  _“Hey, hey! Kiibo, open up! C’mon, it was just a prank!”_

It wasn’t that obvious before, since we had to head to the Altar of Judgment for the third trial right after. But things got more apparent after the trial and the execution for that case ended.

Kiibo was ignoring me.

As soon as I enter the dining hall, he leaves. Whenever I jump in a conversation he’s engaged with another person, he would wait for me to finish speaking before apologizing to his current conversation partner and excused himself afterwards. He didn’t even make an effort to rebut any of my robophobic remarks. Even the ones I didn’t even mean to say. 

Not to mention that one time where I caught him going under maintenance in Iruma-chan’s lab, he actually had the nerve to press a button (which I didn’t know existed until then) behind his neck to shut himself down.

Normally I didn’t care about getting ignored since that’s just the typical response everyone who’s not Gonta would give me. But for Kiibo’s case…it wasn’t this bad. It wouldn’t have gone on for weeks either. I’m pretty sure I’ve done worse things to him to warrant this kind of treatment, but suddenly he lashes out after one small prank? I mean, yeah sure I was bleeding from the head, but a prank is a prank. Why is he suddenly being so difficult?

Before I realized what I was doing, I’ve actually been chasing after him day after day after day after day after day! 

The heavy feeling in my stomach was starting to annoy me more than it upsets me. This has to stop.

I stomped my way up the stairs and violently knocked on his door. Doorbells? Hah. Who needs em. I already broke like ten of those in the past few days.

“Are you seriously still mad about that one prank?! You are, aren’t you!?”

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!** _

“Hey, hey! Kiiboy, open up! C’mon, it was just a prank!”

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!** _

“I know you’re in there, Kiiboy! I saw you enter your room just now!”

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!** _

“Come on! Open up already! My hands are starting to hurt!”

_**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!** _

“Damn it Kiiboy! You really are a heartless robot!”

_**BANG! BANG! BANG–** _

Instead of hitting the door with my fist, I rested it against the door. I can see a bruise about to form on my hand and it was starting to hurt as well. But somehow I just can’t shake the feeling that having him actually hate me for the entire duration of our captivity would hurt me more than what I just subjected my hand to.

I rested my forehead against the door and took a deep breath. “…At least tell me the reason why you’re ignoring me, Kiibo…I swear I’ll stop bothering you afterwards.”

This wasn’t a lie.

A couple of moments ticked by before I could hear the sound of the door being unlatched from the other side, which lifted some of the burden I didn’t know I was carrying until now.

Kiibo didn’t look amused at all as he gave me a calculated once-over. “…Fine. Come in.”

I didn’t know that he was actually capable of sounding so cold. Was it really that bad? Maybe it wasn’t about the prank after all?

Kiibo simply gestured for me to sit on the bed while he took a seat on the chair that came with our personal study desks. “What do you want?”

I frowned. I already said it while I was outside. Is he deaf, or was this just a ploy to see how I’d react?

“…Don’t play dumb with me. I know you know that I know that you’ve been ignoring me for a good two weeks now, Kiiboy,” I snapped. “What’s gotten your robo-panties in a twist, huh? Was it the stupid prank I pulled? Did it offend your robo-sensibilities? Or was it something else entirely and you’re just acting like one big artificial baby!”

Kiibo’s frown intensified at my rude choice of words. I mirrored his expression. He’s been rude to me for weeks now. I have every right to be mad. 

I expected him to change his mind and kick me out of his room and I’ll lose this chance to talk to him forever. Or at least, until someone decides to kill me or something. But instead, his features actually softened. For the first time in weeks, I’ve seen Kiibo being Kiibo.

“…I don’t understand how you could call something like that a prank, Ouma-kun…” he started, his voice matching his soft expression. “Do you actually feel joy from tricking people? Manipulating their feelings to suit your taste only to invalidate those same feelings?”

So it really was the prank. But why was he so mad that he fell for something simple like that–

That’s when it hit me. Kiibo’s reaction that time. His footsteps were fast and heavy as he practically ran to my current position. His voice shook as he called for my name. I remember thinking how heartbroken he sounded, and even attempted to picture how worried he looked. He was actually panicking. And what did I do?

 

\--------------------

_ “It’s a lie!” _

_ \-------------------- _

 

If…if he was mad about this…does that mean Kiibo actually cared if I got hurt? Or worse, actually die?

His explanation escaped my ears as I already came up with a conclusion. At this point, Kiibo was slumped forward and had both of his hands cover his eyes with his elbows resting atop his thighs.

“I was…scared. I was scared that we lost another friend,” Kiibo started. “And I was frustrated. So, so, frustrated because when I saw you lying in a puddle of blood, I–I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do. Moisture started collecting in my eyes, yet they won’t fall, because I do not have tears to shed. Being unable to grieve at the loss of someone important…it’s frustrating!”

Kiibo sucked in a breath. “I’m truly glad that you’re alive…but that prank you pulled…it’s not something you could just make light off, especially not when the Killing Game is still ongoing. Do you understand what I’m saying, Ouma-kun?”

I snapped out of my daze once he called my attention. I found myself looking directly into his clear blue eyes.

“…Yeah.” That’s why I’m at a loss.

I’ve treated him badly just like how I’ve treated the rest. And yet…he cares for me? He’s actually worried for someone like me?

“Looking at the entire situation now…I suppose I’ve been acting immaturely for the past few weeks…and for that, I apologize, Ouma-kun.” Kiibo bowed. “I admit that I was in the wrong this time. So…so you don’t have to go away.”

Huh? What is he…

“Hah? You actually believed that I’ll leave you alone just cause you answered a teensy-weensy question for me? Tsk, tsk, just when I thought you were finally learning,” I tutted. “That was obviously a lie, Kiibo! You should have known that by now. “ 

…When in doubt, _lie._

“I am in the process of forgiving you, Ouma-kun. Please don’t make me change my mind.”

“Alright, alright.”

“…It’s your turn to apologize.”

“What?! No way, uh-uh!”

“Ouma-kun.”

“…Ugh…you’re such a pain, Kiibo.”

“Yes, Ouma-kun. The pot truly is as black as the kettle. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

“Ugh! Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine…”

Kiibo looked quite pleased after I gave him a proper apology. It was then did I notice that the heavy feeling I felt in my gut just a few moments prior, had somehow transformed into butterflies inside my stomach.


	5. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  _“I’m sorry, Kiibo...It’s my fault you ended up being a weapon to the government...“  
>  “...It is fine.”_

In this world, people lived their carefree lives within a great dome. Inside the dome was safe. Peaceful. Normal. It was as if nothing was amiss. 

Outside the dome, however, is the complete opposite. Death, carnage, war...all the unpleasant things you could ever think of...are found beyond its walls. The truth is, the world used to be a peaceful place. After a long history of conquests and colonization--the world achieved peace, or so humanity thought. However, due to the rapid depletion of resources, political unrest...tensions between countries eventually led to a set of small-scale wars between countries, until finally, it erupted into a large-scale war known as...

**World War V3.**

Japan had reverted back to its former nature as a hermit country, but not without any preventive measures of making sure that no outsiders enter the country. It was all for the sake of the people, so everyone can live their everyday lives in peace--blind to all the bloodshed happening Outside. To delude the masses that the world was still a peaceful place. And to make sure it stays this way, those who disrupt the peace...simply disappear.

From an outsider’s point of view, Japan’s currently the most peaceful place to be in right now. However, one of the downsides to this kind of lifestyle is the slow but steady dwindling of resources. Being unable to trade with other countries just like how it was centuries ago, the Japanese Government had to make do with what was available within the country.

Of course, human resources belong to this category as well. With Japan’s only line of defense being the military. Many of them leave the Dome, but only few return. It was only natural that it would be in need of men if they wanted to keep Japan safe. The soldiers who risked their lives day in and day out just to ensure that the people Inside could live peacefully were seen as heroes.

Which is exactly why there are soldiers currently roaming around in the slums. It was the perfect place to look for new recruits. Offer the poor some money in exchange for joining and the army and they’ll bite. And should they die in the line of duty, no one will miss them. No one would cry for them. They were completely expendable, which makes them the perfect recruits.

...Not to mention there were rumors that the recent kidnappings were caused by the army, which makes living in the streets dangerous if you don’t want to be taken away by them. If you belonged to the middle class and live in a cozy home, you’ll be fine. But children on the streets have to make do.

“All clear?” Ouma asked, peeking out of the trash bags.

Kiibo nodded, eyes still trained outside of the alley. “We need to be careful if we don’t want to get caught.”

“Yeah,” the raven haired child moved to dust his clothes before picking up a plastic bag filled with assorted bread he stole together with Kiibo. “We should go, they’re probably starving already.”

The albino looked over his shoulder and smiled. “We can go now.”

The monochrome duo stealthily made their way back to their little hideout, where their friends were waiting for them. DICE. That was what they called their little band of lost children. The original members being Kiibo and Ouma respectively, with Ouma being its leader. They originally meant to be a duo of some sorts but ended up taking in other abandoned children around their age(or younger) and made sure that nothing bad happened to them.

“Welcome back leaders!”

Everyone greeted them with big smiles, which grew wider at the sight of food. They all cheered and gave their thanks by tackling their monochrome leaders to the ground with a hug and some gentle noogies here and there. 

To think that it all started when Kiibo first found Ouma collapsed in an alley and helped him get back on his feet, both figuratively and literally and were inseparable ever since. They usually had shifts when it comes to scrounging for their meals. But with the military breathing down their necks, Ouma made sure to take as much supplies as possible so they wouldn’t have to go out too much. The risk of having any of them taken away is too high, considering a good number of them were still new to living their lives on the street. Spending their daily lives fighting tooth and nail to survive while protecting the people who mattered to them. That’s how their days usually went.

However, things started to change when the very people they were trying to protect started getting sick due to the upcoming winter season. Without money, they won’t be able to have them treated. Without warm clothes and warm food, they’ll never get better. It’s bad enough that taking care of their hygiene is hard to accomplish due to their already poor living conditions, and this was a huge concern for the raven-haired leader.

Once everyone was asleep, Ouma pulled Kiibo to the farthest corner of the abandoned warehouse. With a determined look in his face, he whispered.

“I’m going to join the army.”

Cyan eyes widened in shock at the declaration. “The...army? What are you saying all of a sudden, Kokichi...?”

Ouma grabbed the albino by the shoulders, “They offer food, money, shelter, and healthcare, to every recruit’s families. If--if I join, we could offer everyone in DICE a better life. Me alone should be more than enough...that’s why I’m going to leave DICE to you, Kiibo.”

“No.”

“What?” purple eyes stared at the albino in shock. Unused to hearing his dear friend speak in such a cold manner.

Kiibo shrugged the raven haired child’s hand off his shoulders. “I said  **_no_ ** _.  _ I can’t let you go through with this, Kokichi. They-- _ we _ , need you. You’re our leader...that’s why we can’t afford to lose you.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a leader too! You can take care of them even without me,” Ouma grasped the albino by the shirt. “Why are you so against this, Kiibo? I’m doing this for everyone! Are you saying you’d prefer having everyone live like this forever? Do you want them to  _ die _ because of this, Kiibo?”

The albino flinched before looking down and clenched his fists. “...I...can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t lead them as well as you do, Kokichi. No one can take your place--not even me!”

“...Kiibo...” Ouma moved to hold his hand to calm him down. Doing this always calmed his friend down. “I know you can do it. You were the one who saved me before, what difference does this make?”

“...”

Ouma squeezed his hand. “Come on. I promise to come back. You can hold the big leader position for me while I’m gone. And when I come back, I’ll snatch it right back from you. What do you say?” he smiled.

“S...ry...”

Amethyst eyes widened. “Hm?”

Kiibo lifted his tear-stricken face as he squeezed his friend’s hand back. “I’m sorry, Kokichi...but I just can’t let you.”

“What--?”

Everything happened too fast. At first he was worried for his friend since it was rare for him to cry, even if it’s just between the two of them. But the next thing he knew, his hand got pulled and bent in a way it wasn’t supposed to and pain spiked up his right arm as half of his face was forcefully pressed against the concrete. It hurts. It hurts.  **_IT HURTS!!!_ **

Ouma wanted to scream, but he didn’t want to wake the others. Especially not to the sight of Kiibo breaking his arm. The raven-haired child resorted to gritting his teeth instead as he cried. Why, why, why is this happening? Why is Kiibo doing this? Kiibo would never hurt him. Kiibo would...never...why would he...

The shorter child fainted as the pain got unbearable--the last thing he remembers was the sound of his bones snapping and his dear friend’s hushed cries of “I’m sorry.”

Kiibo was nowhere to be found the next day. 

Everyone was panicked when they found Ouma in a near-catatonic state as he was seated by the wall in the morning. His face was dirtied, and his arm was carefully wrapped in a sling made out of their albino leader’s favorite black and white checkered handkerchief. No one knew what happened, no matter how many times they asked, their raven-haired leader wouldn’t respond at all.

They now knew better than to ask about the albino’s whereabouts after Ouma snapped at them for the first time for prodding too much. But despite his utter refusal to even talk  _ about _ the missing albino, everyone noticed how well their leader took care of the black and white patterned handkerchief. To the point where he’d start panicking or even get angry if someone ever misplaced it.

Since Ouma couldn’t do any work in his current condition, the other children who were able had to shoulder his usual duties. But without Kiibo’s guidance and Ouma’s cooperation, they were at a loss and finding food was difficult. They weren’t as used to the winding streets of their neighborhood compared to their two leaders, so most of the time, they barely had enough food to eat. And the fact that Ouma refused to eat just so someone else could have a bite didn’t help their peace of mind at all.

It took a little over a month for Ouma’s arm to heal and for him to return to his usual demeanor. Their usual routine settled back into place once he got things back to order and taught everyone the basics. Everything was back to the way it was before, save for Kiibo’s absence. No one was aware of the sleepless nights Ouma subjected himself to, the only thing on his mind was Kiibo as well as questions he never got the answers to. He winced, moving to rub his right arm to ease the pain. He was already more or less healed, but whenever he thought of his old friend, he would feel a sharp pain spread through his arm just like back then. It was more of a psychological kind of pain rather than physical, something he’s learned to ignore as the days went by, which is why he never told the others about it. He didn’t want them to worry over him even more.

He was staring out the lone window of the warehouse one tranquil night, his eyes were trained on the artificial moon as he drew slow and soothing circles on his right arm. His breath hitched at the memory of Kiibo hurting him. It hurt. It still hurt. But it’s not supposed to. Why...why would Kiibo do something like that to him? He wouldn’t do something like that without reason. There  _ has _ to be a reason!

“Where are you...Kiibo?” he clenched his fists as he cried silently. “I...can’t do this without you, either...stupid…!”

It was only months after did they get to hear news regarding Kiibo. It came in the form of a thick, white envelope addressed to their leader. Everyone was confused at first, considering the fact no one should have known that they were living in the warehouse. Which only speaks volumes of the authenticity of the the letter--Kiibo personally left it in the warehouse for them to find.

Inside the letter was a small slip of paper that had what looked like an address scrawled on it along with a thick wad of cash. As soon as the leader saw its contents, everything clicked into place for him. Suddenly overcome with intense feelings he didn’t know the name for, he launched the envelope against the wall as hard as he could, letting the bills spill out of the envelope as soon as it was airborne.

**Kiibo had joined the military in his place.**

Ouma’s expression darkened, his eyesight was shaking and out of focus and his body was wracked with tremors as soon as he processed such fact.  _ ‘The reason why he broke my arm was to…!” _

“Leader, what’s wrong?” one of them worriedly asked.

Ouma’s snapped up to look at his companions. He clenched his fists hard enough to break skin. “...I know where he is now.”

“Huh? You do?”

“Does that mean we can see Kiibo again?!”

“Far from it!” the raven-haired child snapped, eyes widening in shock before he regained his composure. “...It’s the opposite. We...might not be able to see him ever again.”

That was how everyone learned of what transpired about that fateful night that left their precious leader broken and hurt. And even with such knowledge, they found it difficult to blame the albino. The frustration Ouma’s felt had washed over everyone. They were all at a loss.

“What do we...do with this?” the ash-blonde boy asked. “It looks like Kiibo wanted us to go to this address. Not to mention the money...”

Ouma already knew what Kiibo’s intentions were. They were partners for the longest time after all. He should be able to tell as much. But this--how could he accept something like this without saying a word? Then again...with this money, everyone wouldn’t have to struggle with food, clothes--with  _ living! _ He...he can’t possibly drag everyone down just because of his own selfish feelings...

Ouma turned around, “...Not now. There are still some military men roaming about. That could be a trap to lure us out. Once the army is gone, we can check the address out.” A twinge of guilt blossomed in his chest. No matter how bad lying to his friends--his  _ family _ , made him feel, Ouma knew he needed this lie. He needed more time for himself to think things through, to help him heal.

A few more months had passed and now the military was no longer roaming their area. There were more news of missing children spreading among the squatters, however. 

‘It seems the rumors had proven to be true,’ Ouma thought bitterly as he led the others through a secret path he and Kiibo found. It was the best way to travel without grabbing too much attention. After all, people would surely be suspicious seeing a flock of street kids enter what may or may not be their new home, right? That right there only spells trouble. The envelope was carefully stashed inside his right sleeve. The weight of it against his arm was a grim reminder to be careful of his surroundings.

“Leader! I see it!”

Ouma’s head snapped upwards, his eyes trained on what looks like a two-storey home. Suddenly he wasn’t sure if they got the right address, and it looked like the others were feeling uncomfortable as well. It felt like they were...outsiders. Like they were trespassing in someone else’s home, despite knowing that the letter stated otherwise. Before hesitation could settle in the young leader’s mind, the door to their ‘home’ had cracked open, revealing the face of a woman in her late 30s.

“Oh! It seems you have finally arrived. We’ve been expecting you, Ouma-kun. Come inside.”

A house, and some guardians to look after them...just how much of a worrywart could Kiibo possibly be?

Ouma took a deep breath before signalling the others to follow. The woman flashed them a warm smile as she stepped aside and let the children enter. Nothing bad will happen--he trusts Kiibo. He knows they’ll be okay.

 

[Present Time]

 

“Leader, are you okay?!”

Ouma turned to look at his twin-tailed subordinate and family, “It’s nothing...I just got scratched a little. Anyway, what’s the status? Why are we still stuck waiting here?”

“From what I’ve heard from conversations between some soldiers...it seems the army is making use of robots to help them in the war. And right now they’re waiting for that unit to regroup here.”

Purple eyes widened at the new information. “Robots…? Huh. Who would’ve thought.”

“Mhm! Also...” The young woman looked around before leaning closely, “We already looked around for him, but it seems like he’s not here. But the others are still checking around just in case we missed him.”

“I see...” Ouma hummed. “He was probably assigned elsewhere. The breach was too sudden after all. They need all the manpower they can get.”

“We’ll be okay, right?” another voice chimed in. They both turned to look at the long haired girl, clutching the hem of her skirt. “...I was supposed to meet up with my friends at the amusement park today...but suddenly...” tears welled up in her eyes. “M-my friends...”

Ouma hastily moved from his seat and engulfed the girl in his arms and rubbed her back. “Shhh...it’s okay. You’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. The army has Kiibo with them. We’ll definitely make it.”

“B-big brother…” she sobbed. She was the youngest in their group--but she had the misfortune of watching her friends get slaughtered by the Outsiders. She would have been next, if the military didn’t arrive on time. Her experience of living in the slums helped her survive for a bit longer since it taught her how to hide from pursuers.

“He’s already here?”

“Yeah. He just arrived ten minutes ago.”

“Alright, we better hand him our report so it would speed things up.”

Ouma instinctively eavesdropped on the conversation of passing soldiers, his hands continued its ministrations on his adoptive sister’s back.  _ ‘Him?’ _

“Ah, there he is. Excuse me, Captain Iidabashi!”

Ouma froze, and it seems his companions heard it as well. The raven-haired man hastily scanned the vicinity for a certain albino he hasn’t seen in years. The temporary shelter was quite crowded with civilians, so he had to stand on the tips of his toes, trying to get a glimpse of the ahoge Kiibo always sported.

“Leader, wait!”

Ouma didn’t. He couldn’t. He needed to see him  _ right now. _ He weaved his way through the crowd with ease, eyes focused on the backs of the two soldiers who were unknowingly leading him to his destination. He got knocked around quite a bit, and even lost sight of the soldiers, but there he was.

The familiar sight of his windswept, snow-white hair, made him feel nervous. Kiibo had his back turned towards him at the time and was conversing with the two soldiers from earlier. Ouma didn’t notice anything amiss until he took a good look at his friend.

Kiibo wasn’t wearing the same uniform as the two soldiers--it wasn’t the fact that Kiibo clearly held a high enough position to be held in high regard. Rather...his body was covered with metal plates, and something about his movements felt a little off.

...Maybe he was overthinking things. It could just be a special armor the government helped the military develop to lessen the casualties in the military. That thought isn’t too far-fetched, considering the fact that the military apparently had robot soldiers fighting with them.

“Hey you! This isn’t a conversation a civilian should be privy to.”

Ouma flinched.  _ ‘Huh…? When did I--?’ _

He had unconsciously walked too close.

The albino’s head perked up before turning to look over his shoulder.

Ouma felt his blood run cold as soon as their eyes met.

Cold cyan eyes, pale skin that could be easily attributed to a corpse, dark lines under his eyes--it was Kiibo...but...it...it can’t be, right?

“Kokichi…!” the albino gasped.

Ouma fell to his knees, overwhelmed by too much information. That was it. That was the proof that this was real. Ahhh...his right arm is hurting again…

“Kokichi?! H-hang in there!”

His body was as hard and cold as the steel plates protecting his body. But his voice was just as warm and soft as he remembered.

Ouma fainted from the shock.

 

\-----------------------------------------------

 

When he came to, he was back in his designated room, everyone was there this time. They were all asleep, obviously exhausted from the entire situation, and even more so with Ouma fainting as soon as he saw--

_ Knock. Knock. _

His head perked up at the sudden noise. “Who is it?”

Instead of a verbal response, a slip of paper had slid under the crack of his door. Curious, Ouma carefully moved out of his bed to pick it up.

_ “It’s me. We need to talk.” _

Ouma’s grip on the message tightened to the point of crumpling the paper. He took one last glance at the others before silently leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

“Not here. I don’t want them to worry.” Was all he said, eyes trained on the ground, refusing to look the albino in the eye.

Kiibo didn’t mind--he already expected such a reaction from the headstrong leader he’s always known. “Understood. I know a place where we can have some form of privacy.”

Kiibo’s stiff manner of speech honestly bothered him. It felt so off.  _ So wrong. _ “Okay.”

Silence fell upon them, the only sound they could hear were their footsteps as Kiibo led him to the second floor of the shelter.

“...It seems you’ve grown taller than me over the past few years.”

“Huh? Oh...yeah...I guess...” mumbled Ouma.

Their conversation died there and then.

“We’re here.”

Ouma idly rubbed his right arm upon realizing that the albino led him to his own quarters. ‘Some form of privacy,’ he says. His quarters was straight up off-limits to non-combatants. Kiibo urged the raven-haired male to enter his room first before following. The first thing Ouma did as soon as they were both inside, was land a punch on him, catching both of them off-guard.

“Ko--”

“You  _ asshole! _ _ ” _ Ouma shouted, ignoring the pain in his knuckles. “How could you do this to me?!” The dam that kept his tears at bay for the past few years had easily crumbled the moment he got a better look at the albino. “You didn’t want me to join the army, and yet here you are now! You fucking hypocrite! You...you better have a damn good explanation for this!”

“...I knew that this would happen as soon as we meet again…” Kiibo murmured as he got up from his place on the floor. “That’s why I sought you out tonight. You have a lot of questions running in your mind, don’t you? I’ll answer all of them, I promise you.”

Ouma looked away, obviously still livid, but nodded anyway. He flinched when he felt cold fingers make contact with his bruised hand.

“But first we need to treat your hand before it gets worse. We don’t have much supplies here, it would be bad if your wound gets infected,” the albino led him to his bed and pulled out a first aid kit from his drawer and carefully disinfected the raven-haired male’s hand before wrapping bandages from his knuckles to the tips of his fingers.

“There,” Kiibo smiled.

He hated how easy it was for Kiibo to defuse his anger with just a smile. But there’s no way he’s going to admit it right at this moment. Once the albino was finished, he murmured out his thanks. The atmosphere grew cold the moment Kiibo returned the first aid kit to its proper place.

“Now then...what do you want to know?”

Purple eyes flicked up and gave the albino a pensive once-over. “...Your appearance. What...what  _ happened _ to you?”

Kiibo inspected himself before returning his attention to his companion. “Ah. This...is the result of enlisting in the military.”

Ouma perked up at the information. “ _ What?  _ How could--but those soldiers earlier looked normal!”

Kiibo heaved a sigh as he took a seat on the bed, “...That...is something I must apologize for.”

“What do you mean?”

“I lied to you.” His cyan lenses glowed under the dim lighting of his room as he turned to look at the raven-haired male. “...It was a week before I left. While I was mapping out a route for the next supply run we were planning to go on, I heard two soldiers talking. They essentially talked about how the children they were going to recruit are supposed to undergo an experimental program. It was this.”

Kiibo stretched his arm for Ouma to touch and feel. Cold, hard, and lifeless...much like metal. “Building robots from scratch would take up too much of our current resources, not to mention the possible damage and maintenance it would require. And that’s how they came up with this idea where they’ll use the human body as a base, and will just install these parts to enhance our performance. Naturally, depending on how substantial these enhancements were, it would definitely stunt our growth, which is why they waited for our bodies to mature before conducting the operation.”

Ouma pursed his lips as he slowly dropped the albino’s arm. “...Why were those other soldiers normal?”

Kiibo leaned back, eyes on the ceiling. “Due to the escalating tension Outside, the government decided to stop making new cyborg soldiers so the military could focus on the war instead of dividing its attention between the battle and developing soldiers who would no doubt become stressed due to their new condition, which makes them unable to fight in the front lines anyway.”

“Why...did you have to go?” the raven resorted to bite his lip to stop himself from breaking down, which only proved to be futile. “You didn’t want me to enlist because of this, fine! But why did you have to go?!” he moved to wipe his tears on his sleeve. “All you had to do w-was...was tell me. You didn’t have to hurt me! I would have understood!”

Kiibo wordlessly pulled his dear friend into a hug, relieved that the other didn’t make any protest when he did so. “...I did what I thought I had to do. I didn’t want you to be subject to something like that...but what you said was true. If we continued living our days on the streets, we would eventually die off one by one, and I didn’t want that. That’s when I thought that...if it’s for you--for everyone, I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

“I’m sorry, Kiibo...It’s my fault you ended up being a weapon to the government...“ murmured Ouma.

“...It’s fine,” Kiibo closed his eyes as he rubbed soothing circles on his companion’s back. “Like I said...I’ll do anything to keep you all safe.”

Ouma powerlessly hit the albino on the shoulder. “You stupid worrywart...How many times did I tell you to worry about yourself once in a while…?”

Kiibo blinked a few times before chuckling--something he hasn’t done in years. “I lost count.”

“So...captain, huh. What’s the deal with that?” Ouma lifted his head, taking this chance to inspect the interior of his friend’s room. It didn’t have much in it other than the essentials like the bed and the bedside drawer and the study desk. He noted the neat stack of paperwork that rested atop the wooden desk.

“Hmm…” hummed Kiibo. “I’m the last cyborg from the first Cyborg Unit. I’ve had more battle experience compared to the current ones we have right now. Other than battle experience however, I also have the most enhancements recorded in the database. I wasn’t like all like this from the start, actually. To tell you the truth, the first thing they ‘enhanced’ was my left leg.”

“ _ Just _ a leg?” Ouma’s eyes widened.

“It was a test to see how fast I could run even with just one enhanced leg,” the albino continued. “But due to my earlier rookie mistakes and several brushes with death, they had to enhance all the other parts of my body just to keep me alive. Others weren’t as lucky. They either died from the operation or the war itself.”

“...I see.”

“E-enough about me. Tell me more about you guys. How were you doing?” Kiibo didn’t even bother trying to hide his intention to change the subject. They haven’t seen each other in years, they have better things to talk about than war.

Ouma had a  _ lot _ to tell him. About fifteen years worth of stories!

That’s how the tension between them dissipated, only leaving behind that same comfort they found in each other in their childhood years.

Ouma told him about their awkward days living in a proper home for the first few weeks, the even more awkward days of going to a high school after years of being homeschooled. How everyone smiled more and felt safer living in a home meant just for them.

“I was on my way to my part time job when this all happened, actually...” Ouma sighed.

“Oh…” Kiibo pursed his lips. “What kind of part-time job was it, if I may ask?”

The raven-haired male looked away while rubbing the back of his neck timidly. “...The bakery.”

Cyan eyes glowed with amusement. “Bread, huh. That sure takes me back--”

“Whatever!” Ouma fumed, face flushed from embarrassment rather than anger. “I wanted to...make up for that time.”

“It’s okay, Kokichi, I know you love bread. No need to be shy--”

“S-shut up! When did you start becoming so vocal, anyway?!” 

Kiibo simply responded with a laugh.

_ “Captain, you are needed on the front lines. The Outsiders are making their way to the shelter!” _

Kiibo stiffened as soon as he heard his subordinate’s voice in his earpiece. “...I have to go.”

“Huh? Wait why?”

Kiibo hastily made his way for the door, “I need to go. They’re coming. This shelter has a basement level, take everyone with you there. I’ll inform the other soldiers to start evacuating the civilians.”

“W-wait,  _ Kiibo!”  _ the cyborg turned to look over his soldier.

“What is it, Kokichi?”

“Come...home,” Ouma started. “You better come home with us after all of this!” he pulled out a familiar checker-patterned handkerchief out of his pocket, which took the cyborg off-guard.

“Kokichi, so you still had it…” Kiibo smiled. “...I will. I promise I’ll come home.”

While most of his body got replaced with metal parts...he still had his heart. A heart that only beats for Ouma and their precious family.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

[Year 0005]

_ Bing! Bong! _

“I got it!” Ouma called, jogging towards the door. He didn’t bother checking the peephole before flinging the door wide open. World War V3 had already ended years ago with the biggest number of recorded casualties compared to the previous World Wars. Right now they were currently on their fifth year of peace since the war ended. The world leaders all decided to reset the calendar--a hard reset to help them start anew. Needless to say, the real sun was hotter and the real moon was twice as beautiful. He honestly didn’t think he’d be able to experience all of this in his lifetime.

“Kokichi...I’m home,” Kiibo smiled.

Ouma was left agape. When Kiibo told him how he was coming home that day, he had expected him in his military garb. But instead, what he got was a more human-looking Kiibo, the only tell-tale sign of his status as a cyborg were his glowing cyan lenses.

“Y-your appearance--”

“Yes, well...they had to uninstall all of my weapons in accordance with the World Treaty,” Kiibo rubbed the back of his neck out of nervousness. “They offered to cover what’s left behind in synthetic skin after that, and I accepted.”

“Ahh...”

“LEADER IS HOME!” “GUYS! KIIBO’S FINALLY HOME!”

“W-woah wait hold on calm down you guys!” Ouma lost his footing as he got tackled along with Kiibo. That’s how they ended up buried under a tangled mess of limbs and giggling young adults.

Kiibo laughed, “I’m home, everyone.”

Ouma eventually found himself laughing along with the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, “...Welcome home, Kiibo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently finished the last prompts. So the last few updates will be daily instead.


	6. Trigger Happy Havoc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  _"Before you ask, it's a very long story that boils down to a trigger-happy Miu and a shrink ray she built."_

“So you know how we just can’t make our problems disappear, yeah?”

Kiibo tilted his head questioningly from his place on the work table--he had just finished getting checked up and he was in the middle of running his diagnostics when their resident inventor suddenly spoke up. “...Yes?”

“BAM!” Miu swiveled abruptly to show the robot a little contraption in her hands. “Being the genius that I am, I, the great Iruma Miu, created a way to shrink our problems instead!”

Kiibo’s eyes narrowed at the invention in her hands. “Is that a…”

“A shrinking gun, yup!” she pulled her goggles upwards and approached her friend. “It still has some kinks, but not as much as  _ I _ do! Gyahahaha!!! But anyway, I think I can get this baby up and running by tomorrow.”

“Ah.”

Silence settled between the two, Kiibo redirected his attention back to his diagnostics when he noticed the inventor’s confident posture slowly wither as the clock ticked by.

“I-I was...I was wondering if you w-wanted to drop by and see how it works for yourself…?” she fidgeted, voice small and unsure.

_ Oh. _

_ [Scanning complete. No threats detected. System is fully optimized.] _

Kiibo smiled. “Okay. I’ll drop by your Lab as soon as I’m able. Same time?”

The inventor perked up, her boisterous demeanor returned. “Fuck yeah! Get ready to get blown away!”

“I’ll be sure to make the necessary preparations.” The android chuckled as he stood up from his seat, “I should be going now. Thank you for the maintenance, Iruma-san.”

The blonde inventor flashed him a serene smile, something she rarely pulls off without looking insane. She must be really excited and proud about this new invention of hers. Kiibo gave a little bow before leaving her to her own devices and made his way back to the dorms.

_ ‘I wonder what kind of problems is she planning to shrink...Can she even shrink something abstract like anxiety?’  _ he paused.  _ ‘Well...she's an Ultimate for a reason. If it's her, maybe she can pull it off.’ _

 

\---------------------------------------------------

Next Day

\---------------------------------------------------

 

Sweat rolled down the robot’s face as he gradually increased his pace. Footsteps not his own echoed in the halls. He's definitely being followed--and he already has an idea as to who this person was. The fact that he could hear footsteps at all is a telling sign that this person  _ wanted  _ to be noticed.

_ Tap. Tap. Tap. _

“What do you want?”

_ Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

“Why are you following me?”

_ Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

“Ouma-ku--"

**_POP!!!_ **

Just as soon as the robot turned to look at his pursuer, he caught a glimpse of something pink and gooey pop, followed by the sound of a loud explosion. It must be the Bubble Gum Bomb Ouma liked to partake of during his spare time. Kiibo staggered backwards at the loud sound, covering his ‘ears’ to dull the ringing in his head. “W-what is  _ wrong _ with you?!” he yelled. 

“Trying to grab your attention, what else?” Ouma grinned as he pluck the gum from his face. “I've been trying to grab your attention for a while now. You just so happened to turn around just as soon as I used the gum.”

Cyan lenses narrowed at the supreme leader in disbelief. “I've acknowledged your presence even  _ before _ I decided to turn around! Your logic is flawed!” he heaved out an exasperated sigh. “I have somewhere to be, so if you want something from me, make it quick.”

“Hmmm? Nothing, really. I just saw you around and decided to follow you ‘cause I had nothing better to do,” Ouma tapped his finger against his bottom lip.

“What?!”

“But that’s besides the point! You looked like you were in a rush...got something important to do?” Ouma sauntered towards the android. “Honestly there’s nothing noteworthy around in this boring old campus, so I just can’t  _ imagine _ anyone actually having somewhere to be. Even the casino gets boring after a few wins.  _ Unless... _ ”

They were now face-to-face. Their sheer proximity dampened the albino’s anger--replacing it with dread instead. Fearfully anticipating what the shorter teen was about to say.

“Were you going to get some fuck in the love hotel, Kiiboner?” laughed Ouma. “In that case, rather than a what, it’s a question of  _ who _ you’re going to do!”

“ _ OF COURSE NOT!”  _ Kiibo’s eyes widened at his own outburst. “I don’t even--that’s not the point! I do not have time for this, I’m leaving.” He swiveled around and started speed-walking away from the demon in white.

“Ah-ah-ah~! You’re not going anywhere until you answer my question!” Ouma skipped after the albino. “Cough it up, Kiiboy! Who you gonna do the do with?!”

“NO ONE!” Kiibo shouted in response as he broke into a run. It is at times like this he wished that he was equipped with the function to fly. Anything to escape the supreme leader’s inquisition.

The chase went on for as long as the shorter teen was able to catch up to him. Either Kiibo was too slow at running or Ouma was inhuman enough to actually catch up with a robot. An Ultimate Robot, no less!

“Tell me! Tell me!”

“No!”

“It’s not good to lie, Kiibad-boy!”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yeaaah...you’re not fooling anyone! C’mere!”

“No!”

“ALRIGHT! What’s with all the fucking racket?! You’re disturbing my golden brain from performing its genius!”

It was only after that familiar outburst did Kiibo realize that he had made a mistake. He had been blinded by his desperation to escape from the supreme leader’s interrogation that he unconsciously led the latter to his place of destination. And knowing how astute and insufferable the supreme leader was--

“Never lie to my face again, Kiiboy,” Ouma scoffed at the sight of the inventor.

“I  _ wasn’t!  _ I was only going to meet with Iruma-san--”

“To fuck? Her of all people? Man, and here I thought you’d actually have good taste in partners!”

“Why do you always think of such vulgar things?!” Kiibo stomped his foot, a rare display of immaturity on his part. Perhaps being around Ouma for long periods of time was starting to influence his mannerisms.

“Yeah well,  _ unfortunately,  _ Iruma-chan doesn’t really leave much to your imagination,” huffed Ouma.

“I’m right the fuck here you gremlin bitch!” Miu yelled as she lifted her skirt. “Today’s the day where you’ll finally get what you fucking deserve!”

“Ew, gross! Put your skirt back down!” Ouma backed a few steps out of disgust. “If there’s anything  _ I _ deserve, it would be a restraining order against  _ you!” _

The inventor pulled out a small handgun from a holster strapped to her right thigh and pulled her goggles over her eyes. “Time to get rekt you failed abortion!”

Kiibo’s eyes widened as soon as he recognized the gadget in her hand. “Iruma-san, wait--!”

A high pitched sound echoed through the courtyard as a bright beam shot out of the handgun, prompting the two males to close their eyes.

Ouma hesitantly opened his eyes once he was sure the light show was over. “What the...hell was that all about?” he frowned at the inventor.

“Kiibo!” gasped the inventor, which prompted the dark haired teen to follow her gaze.

The supreme leader’s first response upon seeing the shrunken robot was to laugh himself to tears. “Oh  _ man,  _ I didn’t think it was possible, but you just made Kiibo a thousand times more useless! You really  _ are  _ an Ultimate!”

Miu glared at him as she aimed her shrinking gun his way. “Don’t think I’m done with you, you twerp! Get back here!”

“ **SHIT!** ”

_ ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! _

 

\-----------------------------------------------

 

When Shuuichi woke up that day, he had planned to make his usual rounds in the campus and talk to his friends in the hopes of learning more about them and becoming closer friends along the way. That day he had planned to talk to their resident inventor in the afternoon as well, after a couple of nights of mental preparation. He caught sight of her back as she was heading back into her Lab. She looked like she was cradling something in her arms, probably something heavy considering how careful she was being.

“Ah, Iruma-san, do you need some help?” he called out to the blonde, speed-walking his way towards her.

“Hah?” she looked over her shoulder. Huh. It didn’t seem like she was carrying something at all. But her posture says otherwise.

“Do you...perhaps have a stomachache?” Shuuichi asked.

“No? Anyway, what does a virgin like you want with  _ me? _ I’m a busy lady, you know!” she frowned, turning to face the detective completely. She really wasn’t carrying anything, and she didn’t look sick either. Maybe he was reading too much into it?

“Ugh, stop squirming!” she hissed.

“Huh?”

“None of your business, Shithara!” she snapped.

Sweat rolled down Shuuichi’s forehead. Perhaps...his mental preparation still wasn’t enough in order to get used to the inventor’s...everything.

“S-stop!” she hissed again.

Saihara’s detective senses kicked in. The inventor was behaving more strangely than usual, seeing how she was hugging herself and squirming in her spot. Is she…?

“I-is that all? I have better things to do than a virgin like you,” Miu groused. “H-hey! I said stop!” this time her hiss came out as a whine.

At this point, it looked like she was talking to her breasts. Shuuichi doesn’t know how to feel about that. Knowing her, she probably invented something weird that gave her chest some form of sentience.

“Ow! Knock it off!” Miu shoved an arm through her cleavage and started rummaging through her top.

As the scene unfolded before him, Shuuichi concluded that no amount of mental preparation could ever prepare him for the inventor’s antics. Why...why didn’t he go talk to Hoshi earlier when they crossed paths in the hallway?

“What’s the big idea, you little fucker?!” Miu yelled as she finally managed to pull something out of her cleavage. “What did ya say?! No, really, your voices are so tiny, I can’t even fucking understand a word you’re saying.”

The sight of the two familiar looking objects in the blonde’s hands snapped the detective out of his reverie. Is that…

“Ouma-kun and...Kiibo-kun?!” Shuuichi stepped a little closer to get a better view of the two. What were they doing in Iruma’s--?

Kiibo adjusted his volume output before speaking, just as he was about to speak, however, Ouma grabbed a hold of the robot’s ear and twisted it in order to play a recording, "Before you ask, it's a very long story that boils down to a trigger-happy bitch and a shrink ray she built."

“...Ah.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

It took the others a while to wrap their heads around the absurdity of the entire situation. No one expected to see something usually seen in sci-fi films like people shrinking happen in real life. Nevertheless, they felt a wave of respect for the vulgar inventor course through their being. Her talent really was something. In any case, they all took turns taking care of the shrunken duo since the inventor locked herself in her laboratory in order to invent a regrowth gun. Apparently her shrinking handgun was only capable of shrinking its target. Her narrow-mindedness with regard to her inventions’ functions is outstanding.

The arrangement surprisingly worked well. Although not even such a predicament would stop Ouma from being his usual self. He now teases his peers with Kiibo’s assistance by treating him like some sort of megaphone with the use of his recording function, much to the robot’s chagrin. Not to mention the albino suffers from the supreme leader’s usual mockery the most since they’re both stuck in the same predicament. 

Things were fine for the most part, up until the two shrunken Ultimates had disappeared from sight on Himiko’s watch. As soon as the red-haired mage dozed off during her shift, Ouma decided he had better plans than staying in the fake mage’s room and decided to slide down the bed using one of the bedposts, fireman style. Which was still dangerous, in Kiibo’s book. The robot, however pulled the blanket a little over the edge, making use of it as a slide. The supreme leader didn’t intend to wait for him at all as the former began making his way towards the door. Kiibo hastened his pace to catch up with the shorter male.

“Ouma-kun, it’s best if we go back,” Kiibo was the first to break the silence as soon as they managed to crawl under space below the door. That’s one of the perks of being small, he supposes.

“I don’t recall ever telling you to follow me. If you want to go back to watching Yumeno-chan sleep like the perv you are so badly, then be my guest,” Ouma responded cooly, not even bothering to look at the robot.

“T-that is  _ not _ my intention!” the android hissed. “We’re both supposed to be with Yumeno-san for today. If we wander around like this, they’ll worry!”

“Worry, huh,” the supreme leader mused. “Must be nice being you.”

Kiibo quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing, nothing~” Ouma dismissed the thought with a wave. “Still doesn’t explain why you’re following me around, you creepy stalker.”

“C-creepy sta--isn’t it obvious?!” the android’s frown deepened. “If I let you go off on your own, we would have a hard time looking for you. And knowing how you are, you’d probably find that funny and start hiding from us too.”

“Huh, I never thought of doing the last one. Thanks for the idea!” Ouma cackled. “I guess you can be useful from time to time after all, Kiiboy.”

“Whuh--?!”

“But really, have you ever thought of the possibility that I could just run off and hide from you right this moment?” amused purple eyes finally locked with perplexed teal lenses.

“...I have,” Kiibo murmured his response.

“Oh? Then please tell me what you were planning to do when that happens,” the raven-haired Ultimate flashed him the sweetest smile he’s ever seen. He’s having too much fun with this situation.

“I won’t let it happen,” the albino responded firmly. “I’ve already thought of a way of preventing that scenario from ever happening.” Cool metal fingers slipped into the supreme leader’s small and pale hand, threading their fingers together. “If I hold your hand like this, you wouldn’t be able to slip away from me that easily, and I’ll get to keep a closer watch on you.”

Ouma eyed the metallic hand entwined with his very own before heaving out a sigh. “I guess it’s a good thing that robots don’t sweat, otherwise I’ll yank your arm off and start smacking you with it.”

“Grghk! Y-your robophobic statements won’t make me let go of your hand,” the android fumed.

“I guess I was being too obvious, huh. Darn,” the raven-haired teen clicked his tongue with feigned disappointment as he started pulling his companion along. They continued their journey in silence.

“...Where exactly are we going?” Kiibo asks half an hour later.

“Mm? Nowhere in particular,” Ouma replied, eyes still on the path before them. “That’s the point of adventures, you know? If you knew where to go from the start, it would be boring. That’s why exploring is a thing.”

“That...makes sense, but...how do you intend for us to return, exactly?” Kiibo’s eyes roamed the even wider corridor of their school, his eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“No idea!”

His companion’s response didn’t give him any peace of mind either. The first few minutes of walking hand-in-hand was a little awkward and uncomfortable, but as they continued their stroll, they started to find each other’s touch rather comfortable. They only ever let go of each other’s hand when crawling under cracks below the door, or through holes in the walls they couldn’t have noticed back in their original size. They both screamed at the sight of a winged Monokuma hidden inside a wall. Both teens agreed never to speak a word of such a worthless discovery.

Their hands had parted over and over, and usually it was Kiibo who initiated the hand-holding after every obstacle, but after a while, Ouma had offered the robot his hand this time around, though his attention was directed elsewhere. His silent command did not go missed, however, as Kiibo found himself smiling once he slipped his fingers through the supreme leader’s very own once more. It was starting to become second nature for them.

“Is your battery running low?” Ouma’s eyes were still trained on the path before him when he asked the question. They have reached the courtyard.

“H-huh?”

The supreme leader moved to tap the area just below his neck. “Your lights. They’re starting to fade.”

“Ah...” Kiibo checked the buttons on his armor and saw that the lights on his buttons weren’t as vibrant as before. “We’ve been stuck like this for almost a week--and in this size, I don’t really have a socket to plug into.”

“Stupid, why didn’t you ask Iruma-chan to make you a micro-power bank or something?” Ouma huffed.

“Because you wanted to turn back to your original size,” Kiibo murmured, looking away. “You don’t show it, but I know that between the two of us, you’re the one who wanted to turn back the most.”

The robot’s words made the supreme leader pause in his tracks, turning ever so slowly to face his companion.

“If I were to ask her to build something else just for my sake, that would mean the growth gun will take longer to finish,” Kiibo finished, halting in his steps as well.

“You’re seriously stupid,” Ouma uttered under his breath as he let go of the robot’s hand. “You can’t even follow the Third Law of Robotics. Just how disappointing can you get?” He shoved his hand inside his pockets, surreptitiously feeling around for a certain contraption he’s sure to be there.

Kiibo frowned, “My will is my own. My actions are not restricted by such laws.”

“Heeeeh, so you’re saying you can kill any one of us without remorse--”

“Wha--?! I would  _ never--” _

“Of course you wouldn’t. You don’t even have a rocket punch. You could have been more threatening if it weren’t for the fact that you’re basically just a mechanical grandpa.” Ouma rolled his eyes as he pulled out the item he was looking for. “You’re just boring ol’ Kiiboy--hardly a human, and hardly a robot--” 

**_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_ **

Before the supreme leader was able to press the lone red button on his transceiver, it started blaring a loud alarm, surprising the two Ultimates.

“W-what’s that in your hand? Where and when did you get that?” Kiibo inquired, albeit nervously.

Instead of answering, however, Ouma moved to press a different button.

_ “Alright dipshit, what the fuck are you two doing out in the courtyard?” _

Kiibo’s eyes widened at the sound of the inventor’s voice. “I-Iruma-san?”

“Sightseeing,” replied Ouma. “Anyway, since you already know where we are, mind picking us up? Kiibo’s about to run out of battery and I really don’t want to deal with lugging around such a heavy piece of junk.”

The albino frowned at his companion for his unnecessarily scathing remark.

_ “He is?! God damn it! Why didn’t he--” _

The supreme leader didn’t bother letting the inventor finish her sentence, since his only purpose was to have the inventor come find them in the first place. It was only a coincidence that she happened to call him first. It saves him from trying to explain why he has such a thing in his pocket in the first place. And the fact that he intended to use it to have someone come to the robot’s aid.

“Well, now that we know the pig’s going to arrive sometime soon, I guess we should find some shade for the time being,” Ouma paused to stretch his limbs until it popped. “You shrivel up under direct sunlight like any ol’ gizmo, right? Hurry up.”

Kiibo felt his irritation dissipate at the raven-haired teen’s words. It was true that he was not meant to be under direct sunlight for long periods of time, but he never really expressly mentioned anything about it. He only made vague remarks about it whenever he was invited out on a particularly hot and sunny day, but he didn’t think any one of his peers, and certainly not the supreme leader, to pick up on it at all. Kiibo shook his head to snap out of his surprise before jogging after the shorter teen.

Without looking at the android, Ouma made a gesture with his right hand, silently urging the robot to hold it despite not looking fairly interested. Kiibo eyed him as he took the hand in his. He smiled when he heard a soft gasp come from the supreme leader when he briefly activated his cooling function on his hand. The weather was particularly hot today, after all.

“Stop that. You’ll discharge faster,” Ouma sounded mad, but Kiibo had a feeling that he actually appreciated it.

Silence fell upon them. Kiibo could see the supreme leader swinging his legs idly from his peripherals while seated on a rock. He had questions he’d like answers to, but opted not to ask. This kind of peace and quiet with him was rarer than having him tell the honest truth behind his actions.

Iruma eventually arrived just like Ouma said, she had a small monitor in hand, which she used to track their exact location. She told them that the real reason she called was because she finished the growth gun, so there was no need to make a mini-charging port for him after all. As soon as they were zapped back to their original size, Kiibo stayed behind to charge himself in the inventor’s lab.

...Ouma left the lab empty-handed.

 

\------------------------------------------------

 

Things went back to normal back in the academy.

At least, it was supposed to. But Kiibo couldn't help but feel that something had been missing for a long time now. He was seated on his bed, just watching his hand clenching and unclenching. It felt hollow. It was missing something. And that something is…

He sighed.

Ever since they returned back to their original size, Ouma started avoiding him. Well, to be fair, it mostly seems like things returned to how it was before the shrinking incident. Ouma goes off doing whatever he was in the mood to do, he goes around teasing people just as usual. He also casually throws a robophobic remark his way just like how he used to. But somehow it feels off. Maybe he should…

_ Knock! Knock! Knock! _

Kiibo’s head perked up at the unexpected noise. It was a quarter past 10 in the evening. Who could it be at this time of night? Whoever it was on the other side of the door kept knocking while the android made his way for the door. His eyes widened at the sight of the supreme leader. “Ouma-kun…?”

“Heya Kiiboy! Got any plans for tonight?” Ouma grinned.

“No, I don’t...” Kiibo murmured his response, rubbing the back of his neck out of nervousness.

“Great!” The supreme leader proceeded to grab the android by the wrist and dragged him out of his room.

“W-wait! What are you doing? What are you planning?” Kiibo stammered.

Ouma turned to show the albino the biggest pout he could muster. “I wanted to go on an adventure, okay? And you’re like the only one who doesn’t sleep, ergo, the only one who’s free at the moment.”

Kiibo’s cheeks flushed upon realizing that the supreme leader already had their hands intertwined while he was talking.

“Got a problem with that, Kiiboy?” Ouma turned to look away as he huffed. Judging from the subtle redness of his ears, Kiibo could tell that Ouma was aware that he noticed.

Kiibo found himself smiling. “No. No problem at all.”

Ouma’s grin found its way back to his face as he tugged the android along once more. “Then good! No letting go until I say so. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Nothing felt missing anymore.


	7. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:
> 
>  
> 
> _Kokichi: "I'm perfectly fine, you dork! Better than ever-" (thump)_  
>  _Kiibo: "Kokichi?! Hey, Kokichi, are you okay?"_
> 
>  
> 
> The situation here being that kokichi has been in mega investigation mode and therefore due to lack of sleep became so tired that he fainted and kiibo takes it upon himself to take care of him.

Somehow, when dividing into pairs for exploring the new areas, it had become an unspoken rule that Kiibo and Ouma are paired off together. Every single time, without fail.

Kiibo didn’t want to think too badly of his peers, so he chalked it up to everyone trusting that only _he_ could put up with the supreme leader’s unpredictable behavior without possibly harming the other. However, he couldn’t seem to forget Ouma’s words regarding this matter.

_“Nishishi! That’s because we’re both outcasts! It’s only fitting to pair us off since nobody wants to be around us.”_

_‘Outcasts, huh...’_ The android directed his attention to the supreme leader’s small back. The latter was humming an unknown tune while he led the way. They’ve been paired off for so long, that observing the enigmatic Ultimate became a past time of his. And knowing Ouma, he’s probably been doing the same thing to him, just that he was a lot better at being discreet.

It wasn’t that he disliked being paired off with someone as chaotic as Ouma. When it all comes down to it, he was highly skilled and efficient when it comes to investigating. He would search every nook and cranny the android wouldn’t have thought to inspect. Kiibo admired this side of him. When he displays his intellectual and far more thoughtful side--unfortunately, the supreme leader would use that very same intellect to find ways to tease him.

“Mmm! A dead end, huh,” Kiibo paused in his steps upon the supreme leader’s sudden declaration. As if to prove his point, Ouma made a show of knocking on the wall that’s very much blocking their pathway.

“We better go back and explore the other rooms then,” the albino offered, watching the shorter Ultimate knock on the wall as he pressed an ear against it. “Umm...Ouma-kun?”

“Shh. I’m busy.”

Kiibo behind the raven-haired teen awkwardly, unsure with what to do. He wasn’t exactly equipped with tools and functions meant for exploration like an x-ray vision of some sort. However, Ouma _did_ praise him for his zooming function, which still left him flustered whenever he remembered the memory. He still couldn’t understand why being praised by the leader gave him a sense of accomplishment, but--now’s not the time to think about these kinds of things.

Ouma pulled away from the wall with a sigh, “Nothing. Just a boringly solid wall. Let’s go check out the other rooms.”

“Alright. The hallway got darker since the sun started setting. I’ll be using my flashlight function, so please walk ahead of me.”

“Sunset already? What time is it?” the supreme leader started walking ahead of the android, prompting the latter to activate his function just as promised.

“Half past five,” the android dutifully responded.

“Hmmm. We’re checking out one last room then head back for dinner,” Ouma made a swift turn to the right, losing his footing as he did so. “Ah--”

“Ouma-kun--!” the android grabbed the leader by his arm.

“I’m perfectly fine you dork! Better than ever!” Ouma huffed, shrugging off the albino’s arm. “Now stop looking at me, your eyes are too bright.”

“Ah, sorry...” Kiibo averted his eyes from the leader, luckily there was still enough light for the latter to be able to see where he’s going even though the light wasn’t focused on him.

**_THUD!_ **

“O-Ouma-kun?” the android rushed to the unconscious teen’s side, cradling the latter in his arms. “Ouma-kun? Hey, are you okay?”

No response.

Kiibo hovered two fingers above the unconscious supreme leader’s mouth, relieved to feel the latter’s warm breath waft against his appendages. “Good, he’s breathing...” He adjusted his hold on Ouma, wrapping one of his arms over his shoulder and used his free arm to support the leader’s back. Once everything was secure, he began walking towards the exit. It was like participating in a three-legged race with an unconscious partner. Luckily, Ouma wasn’t awfully heavy, so he still managed to walk their weight outside of the school building and into the dormitory.

 _‘The courtyard and the dormitory seem rather desolate...perhaps the others had more fruitful discoveries compared to Ouma-kun and I…?’_ Kiibo readjusted his grip on the leader once it was time to climb the staircase. This was one of the downsides of having their rooms on the second floor. To his disappointment, Ouma’s room was left locked, but it was something he already expected from the leader.

He carefully balanced his and the other boy’s weight before reaching out to twist the knob of his door. Thankfully his room was located right next to his unconscious companion’s, so he didn’t have to go through the trouble of climbing down the staircase again. Gravity would have made things difficult for them both.

He gently laid the raven-haired Ultimate on his seldomly used bed before tugging the latter’s scarf off to prevent any possibility of asphyxiation. He folded the checker-patterned scarf into a neat square and placed it by the pillow before making quick work of Ouma’s shoes, placing the footwear on the floor neatly as soon as he was finished.

“I’m surprised he still managed to sleep through the entire trip, I wasn’t even that graceful either,” Kiibo rested his hands on his hips. “In any case, I should make sure he isn’t coming down with something.” He headed for his bathroom in quick strides to wash his hands before grabbing a towel from the rack. He let it soak under running water before wringing the excess water out of the cloth.

 _‘The area was rather dusty...the least I could do is clean him up. I just hope he won’t mind me touching his face without permission...’_ thought the android before dabbing the sleeping Ultimate’s face with the wet towel. He washed the towel as soon as he was finished with his ministrations and dragged a chair next to his bed.

“It doesn’t seem like he’s sick...so that only leaves exhaustion...” he narrowed his eyes at Ouma’s unusually vulnerable form. “...He _did_ run around a lot this morning...but I doubt that alone is the cause. He never passed out like this before…”

_Bing! Bong!_

Kiibo’s ahoge perked up in shock, “Ah, just a moment!” He called out softly, so as not to wake his companion. He shuffled out of his seat as silently as possible before answering the door. “...Saihara-kun?”

“Kiibo-kun…! So you were here…” the detective heaved out a relieved sigh, shoulders slumping a little as the tension washed off of his body. “We were supposed to meet up in the dining hall to discuss our findings over dinner, remember? I was looking for you and Ouma-kun in your designated area but couldn’t find you anywhere. I wasn’t too sure where Ouma-kun would be either, so I thought that your room would be my best bet.”

He did remember their arrangement--but the thought of leaving Ouma behind without supervision didn’t sit well with him at all. “About Ouma-kun...”

“...Did he do something during your investigation?” Saihara looked at him with concern. The leader really _was_ quite a handful, so Kiibo couldn’t fault his peers for being uneasy around the trickster.

“Ah, no, he didn’t--!” Kiibo dismissively wave a hand. “...Actually, he’s laying down in my bed at the moment. He passed out during our investigation, so I had to rush him to my room since his room was locked.”

“He...fainted? Is he okay?” golden eyes widened in astonishment.

Kiibo responded with a nod. “That’s why I wasn’t able to head to the dining hall. I didn’t want to leave him all alone. Have you started exchanging information already?”

Saihara shook his head, his ahoge bobbing with his every movement. “Not yet. We were waiting for everyone to arrive, but since you and Ouma-kun didn’t...I decided to come look for you.”

“I see...” Kiibo took a glance of the sleeping boy before redirecting his attention to the detective. “I’m sorry, but it is against my morals to leave Ouma-kun sleeping in my room alone with no one to watch over him. I can, however,  tell you our findings as of today, just so we won’t breach our agreement in its entirety. I would also like to request you to relay everyone’s findings to me tomorrow, just so Ouma-kun and I wouldn’t be left in the dark.”

“Ah, right… I understand.”

It didn’t take long for the android to give the detective a quick rundown of their findings considering their investigation was incomplete and that they weren’t able to _find_ anything as of yet. Saihara nodded along during his explanation before excusing himself. Kiibo didn’t think too much of it, since it was only natural that he’d be in a rush to return to the dining hall with everyone else. He returned to his seat by the bedside, heaving out a sigh as he sank in the chair.

“I didn’t make the wrong decision,” he murmured to himself, glancing at the raven-haired Ultimate from his peripherals. “...We’re both outcasts. The least we could do was look out for each other right?” He closed his eyes.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Aquamarine lenses snapped open at the sound. “...Ah, I slipped into sleep mode without realizing…”

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

“Yes? Ah, Toujou-san?” Kiibo eyed the tray in the maid’s hands.

“Pardon for the intrusion,” she bowed. “Saihara-kun requested me to bring some dinner for Ouma-kun after informing us of his condition. The dinner I prepared for him is rich with nutrients that would aid him in his recovery.”

“I see!” Kiibo accepted the tray with awe. “Thank you for the trouble. I’ll make sure he eats this.”

Toujou did a little curtsy, “It is my duty as a maid to fulfill the requests I’ve accepted. You may leave the tray outside of your room after he eats it. I’ll pick it up in the morning.”

“Ah, you don’t have to. I can wash it myself,” Kiibo shook his head a little. “You’ve done so much for everyone for the past few days. Let me do at least this much.”

“I see...if you insist, then I shall leave it to you, Kiibo-kun,” the maid flashed him an elegant smile before taking her leave.

Kiibo carefully shut his door with his foot before placing the tray on his desk. “Dinner is best eaten while hot...I feel bad about it, but I have to wake him up...” he sighed.

He placed both of his hands on Ouma’s shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. “Ouma-kun, Toujou-san brought you dinner just now. Ouma-kun, Ouma-kun, hey…”

Ouma shifted to his side, groaning from the disturbance.

“Ouma-kun…”

“Ugh...” Ouma rubbed his eyes with a grimace. “What happened?...Where is this…? I feel gross...” he slapped a hand to his collar bone after feeling an unusual chill in his neck area. “And where’s my scarf? Were you checking me out while I was unconscious? How much of my body have you seen, you perverted robot?!”

“You fainted during our investigation, so I brought you to my room,” Kiibo sighed as he took a few steps back to give his companion space to sit up. “I placed your scarf right next to the pillow. I only took it off because you might suffocate if it stayed on while you were unconscious, so I would highly appreciate it that you cease with your baseless accusations, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma regarded the robot with a half-hearted glare before giving his arms a stretch while yawning. “...Anyway, you said something about Toujou-chan. What was it again?”

“Dinner. She went through the trouble of bringing you dinner, so please eat it,” Kiibo stepped to the side to reveal the tray resting on his desk.

The raven-haired ultimate narrowed his eyes at the meal in question, but eventually nodded. “I _am_ feeling hungrier than usual, so I guess I will.”

Kiibo beamed at the leader, pleased that the latter was being so unusually cooperative. “I do apologize for waking you up from your sleep, but a meal is best enjoyed while it’s hot.”

“...Speaking of which, how long was I out?” Ouma bowed slightly in silent gratitude once his companion passed him the tray.

“About three hours.”

Ouma frowned a little as he took a sip of the _miso_ soup. “ _Please_ tell me you went to the meetup in the dining hall at least.”

Kiibo shifted awkwardly in his stance, “...I’m sorry, I didn’t.”

The leader slammed his spoon against the tray roughly before grabbing the chopsticks, but his voice still remained calm. “...Oh? Why didn’t you? Don’t tell me that on top of your less than remarkable ‘strength,’ you have an even less than remarkable memory?” He punctuated his jabs by shoving a mouthful of rice in his mouth, followed by slivers of mackerel.

Kiibo frowned, “It’s not that I forgot.”

Ouma took another sip of _miso._ “Oh? Is that so?”

The android crossed his arms, “Saihara-kun was looking for us since we didn’t arrive at the meeting point at the designated time. In fact, he dropped by my room earlier.” He paused to take a less than graceful seat on his chair, intensifying his glare at the rude boy. “I told him I couldn’t go and even requested him to relay the results of the meeting to us tomorrow after I informed him of the results of our own search. I only stayed behind because I didn’t want to leave my _partner_ behind.”

Ouma paused in his meal, back straightening before he finally turned to look at the android. “Heeeh. _Partner,_ huh. You’re such a riot, Kiiboy.” He munched on a pickle. “I guess your research on stand-up comedy is finally paying off.”

“It’s not a joke, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo lost the anger in his tone, this time it was something rather...melancholic. “...You were the one who said that we were only paired off because we’re both outcasts.” He began pressing his fingers together. “...I’ve been trying to ignore it, the sense of alienation whenever I’m around the others. I still don’t think too badly of them, but the words you told me that day never left my mind. It actually made me realize that I wasn’t imagining the distance--that I wasn’t just being overly sensitive around them.”

Ouma carefully placed his chopsticks on the chopstick rest as he listened.

“Ever since you told me that, I...actually felt relieved,” Kiibo folded his hands as though in prayer. “I was a little happy too...that we at least have each other. That’s why I thought, the least I could do was to be there for you when you’re feeling unwell. Waking up in an empty room...wouldn’t it be lonely?”

“...You. Are you an idiot? _Me?_ The Ultimate Supreme Leader, _lonely?_ Don’t make me laugh,” Ouma scoffed.

Kiibo lifted his head. “Ouma-kun...if you continue to grab on my sheets that tightly, it would tear.”

“Shut up, Kiibo.”

“I refuse to,” the android tightened his grip on his own hands. “Because if I do...I won’t get the chance to have this talk with you once either one of us leave my room.”

Ouma clicked his tongue before snatching the chopsticks from its rest to finish the rest of his dinner.

“You don’t have to respond truthfully to me, Ouma-kun. I only wanted to say what’s been on my mind for a long time now,” Kiibo’s gaze softened. “...You and I...are quite similar. We...we simply have no place within this Cage. That’s why...even if you push me away with your robophobia, I just want you to know that I’m always willing to lend you a hand whenever you need it. That’s all I have to say.”

“Kiiboy…” Ouma pushed the tray towards the android, flashing him a small smile. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

It wasn’t like his usual mischievous smiles, but it wasn’t a sincere smile either. It was simply...an empty smile.

Even Kiibo could tell that this was the best time to end the conversation. “...I’ll go wash the dishes. Your shoes are right beside the bed. You can stay the night in my room if you want, but I won’t stop you if you choose to leave.”

“‘Kaaaaaay~”

Kiibo shut the door behind him with a sigh. “...I didn’t intend to tell him that as soon as he woke up. I really should study more about reading the mood…”

By the time he got back, Ouma was already gone--something he had expected the moment he left his room.

“The least he could do was fix the bed…” he gave the sheets a strong flap to get rid of the wrinkles, surprised to catch a sheet of paper slipping out after he did so. He dropped to his knees and reached for the slip of paper hiding beneath his bed. His eyes widened upon reading the message lazily scrawled on its surface.

 

\--------------------------------

Thanks.

\--------------------------------

 

Kiibo found himself smiling. It was only one word, but the feelings behind that word meant so much to him. He decided to preserve the message in a small box and kept it inside his drawer.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Kiibo, what are you--”

“Harukawa-san, please lay down your weapon.”

“Get out of my way, Kiibo. Ouma is a Remnant of Despair, remember?!” Harukawa kept her crossbow raised, her resolve never wavered despite the astronaut’s protests.

“We have no way to confirm that yet. Besides, Ouma-kun and Momota-kun weren’t around when we used the flashback light. Interrogating him about that would be nothing but a fruitless endeavor,” Kiibo took a step back and stretched an arm out to further obscure the assassin’s view of the fallen leader. “If Momota-kun and Saihara-kun, if _everyone_ could give you a second chance, then it’s only fair that we give Ouma-kun a right to be heard as well.”

“Kiiboy…” Ouma gritted his teeth, the poison was slowly but surely coursing through his veins. But even so, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. Relieved that Kiibo kept his promise to him that fateful night.

“Kiibo is right, Harumaki. Just stop this. This isn’t the right way,” Momota grabbed the assassin by the wrist and made her lower the crossbow.

“Momota...you idiot!” she hissed.

“You’re the one who’s acting like an idiot, Harumaki. You’re going to restart the Killing Game if I let you go through with this,” the astronaut tightened his grip on her.

“But...he’s…” the assassin sank to her feet, realization finally hitting her.

Kiibo relaxed in his stance before turning to face the leader and offered him a hand. “There’s an antidote in Saihara-kun’s lab, let me take you there.”

Ouma nodded in response as he accepted the hand. “...Thank you.”

Kiibo beamed at him. “You’re welcome, Ouma-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the last one! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I already finished 6 prompts out of 7. So I might "update" this work every week instead. No particular day just to keep you on your toes.


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